Police in Odisha’s Cuttack have arrested four people for allegedly manhandling a woman IPS officer and other police personnel during a confrontation over firecracker bursting on Sunday night.
The incident took place in the Nayasadak area on November 8, when a group of residents were reportedly bursting firecrackers on a busy road beyond the permitted time, causing difficulties for commuters.
Under guidelines issued by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, firecrackers were allowed only between 7 pm and 9 pm on Diwali. However, police said some residents continued bursting crackers until around 10.30 pm.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ananya Awasthi, a 2022-batch IPS officer, reached the spot with other personnel and asked the group to stop. The situation reportedly escalated into an argument and then a physical confrontation.
Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo confirmed that four people, aged between 20 and 32, had been arrested. He said the accused allegedly attempted to attack Awasthi and other personnel when a Quick Action Team from a nearby police station arrived.
Police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage and videos of the incident circulated on social media. At least 10 people had earlier been detained for questioning.
The four arrested have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003. Further investigation is underway.
Awasthi was appointed aide-de-camp to then Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati in May 2026, becoming the first woman IPS officer in the state to hold the post. She was later transferred and posted as ACP in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police.
